Prince Says ‘Record Contracts Are Just Like Slavery’

After removing his music (save one Spotifyexclusive) from all streaming services except Tidal and Google Play, it comes as no surprise that Prince has a beef with current music business practices. Yesterday (Aug. 8), he spoke candidly about his concerns during an intimate forum with 10 journalists at his Paisley Park Studios in Minneapolis. And just like David Byrne before him, Prince’s ire was targeted at labels.

“Record contracts are just like -- I’m gonna say the word -- slavery,” Prince said (via NPR). “I would tell any young artist … don’t sign.”

In addition to pulling his music from the majority of streaming services, Prince also recently announced his upcoming album, HITNRUN, would be exclusively released on Tidal. Jay Z’s artist-owned platform aligns with Prince’s convictions, as the singer wants to see artists regain control of their work and livelihoods.

“Once we have our own resources, we can provide what we need for ourselves,” he said. “Jay Z spent $100 million of his own money to build his own service. We have to show support for artists who are trying to own things for themselves.”